The result of a game between Norway and Canada at the World Hockey Championships might seem like a foregone conclusion, but you can never completely count out the underdog at a tournament like this. There have been plenty of surprises already this year.
Earlier on Thursday, Latvia shocked Team USA by pushing their game to overtime on the back of a superb performance by goaltender Elvis Merzlakis. On Wednesday, Denmark upset Finland 3-2 thanks to a late power play goal.
Latvia already had one win under their belt, a shootout upset over Germany. Though Norway doesn’t feature any NHLers — Rangers leading scorer Mats Zuccarello skipped the tournament to rehab a knee injury — you can’t take any team too lightly in a tournament like this.
Norway even limited Canada to just 28 shots, their lowest total of the tournament.
Of course, that’s partly because the game was pretty much over after the first period.
Connor McDavid opened the scoring just over a minute into the game, as the Norwegian defenders in front of the net got tied up with Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, allowing the best player in the world to walk out alone. That is not recommended. McDavid put it off the far post and in.
Norway pushed back and drew a penalty on McDavid, giving them a chance to tie the game on the power play. Instead, Bo Horvat struck shorthanded for his first goal of the tournament.
.@Canucks forward @BoHorvat scores a beauty of a short-handed goal to make it 2-0 Team (@HC_Men).#IIHFWorlds #Canucks pic.twitter.com/UExnXHBBXB
— TSN (@TSN_Sports) May 10, 2018
What a goal.
It started in the defensive zone with a shot block by Jean-Gabriel Pageau. Then Horvat took off with the puck, driving defender Stefan Espeland back with his speed through the neutral zone. When Espeland turned to the outside, Horvat pulled it inside with a toe-drag, then tucked the puck five-hole as he was tripped to the ice by Espeland.
“I just saw an opportunity to skate with it,” said Horvat during the first intermission. “I figured I might as well try the move if I’m only doing one-on-one, and thankfully it went in after that.”
After Horvat scored such a spectacular goal, McDavid made a spectacle of himself as well, sending a shot under the goaltender’s blocker while falling to the ice.
The two forwards are roommates with Team Canada this year and it was almost like they had some roommate rivalry going on the ice. Pretty soon they’ll be back at the hotel arguing over who can sing higher.
“He’s a great guy. Off the ice, he’s just such a good kid...such a good guy,” said McDavid after the game, correcting himself as he remembered that Horvat is two years older than he. “I think on the ice his play speaks for itself, I think tonight was a beautiful goal and he was good all over the ice. He’s responsible defensively and he’s great offensively, so he’s kinda the total package.”
“It’s awesome,” said Horvat about playing on the same team as McDavid. “I’m even learning a lot from him just being his teammate and I have the pleasure of rooming with him this trip. He’s a great guy, he’s great to have on the team, obviously a spectacular player.”
McDavid made it a hat trick in the second period, assisted by a Norwegian player accidentally tripping his own goaltender. Horvat had a response in the third, scoring a tap-in after some pretty passing with Pierre-Luc Dubois.
Give and GOAL! @BoHorvat with this 2nd of the game. ✌️ pic.twitter.com/sxnVC6G1pQ
— Vancouver Canucks (@Canucks) May 10, 2018
Norway just had no answer to the way Horvat and Dubois were cycling the puck below the goal line and as soon as Horvat had a step on his defender heading to the net, Dubois set him up in the crease.
It was Horvat’s best game of the tournament, but McDavid’s hattrick earned him the nod as Best Player, which is understandable. Horvat finished with three shots in 15:21 of ice time.
Elsewhere at the World Hockey Championships…
Still no word on Elias Pettersson’s health and when he might return to the Swedish lineup. The Canucks’ top prospect missed Sweden’s game against Austria with a suspected flu and has been quasi-quarantined in his hotel to prevent the illness from spreading to the rest of the team.
Anders Nilsson is sitting pretty at the top of the tournament’s save percentage chart. He’s the only goaltender to stop every shot he’s faced after shutouts against France and Austria. Will that be enough to get him starts against tougher opponents? That remains to be seen, as Magnus Hellberg was superb in his two starts as well, stopping 50 of 52 shots.
